The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-01-06
srRANo.s KINGDOM.
ne l9ormoa Dsspotism which Existed b
Michlgan Some Years Ago.

ne leornoa Dsspotism which Existed ip
Mlchlgan Some Years Ago.
The Mormon colony on Beaver Island
was established by James Jesse Strang,
who was native Of New York, and
was an enthusiastic follower of Joseph
Smith. When the Mormon colony at
Nauvoo was broken up, and Brigham
Young had started across the plains
with the most of the Mormons, Strang
and few others determined to establish
a settlement on one of the islands Of
Lake Michigan. In May, 1847, Strang
went to Beaver Island and established
q camp, and in year had twenty
Mormon families established there. By
the middle of 1Sl9 he had two hundred
families. The fishermen and other
previous settlers on the island objected
much to this settlement, and continual
quarr,ls and fights occurred till Strang
one day armed his followers and drove
every other settler away from tho
island. The Mormons were very in-
dustrious. They built city, which
they called St. James, cleared roads
through the island, and built mills and
docks and vessels. Strang sent out
missionaries with such good success
that in few years he had colony of
several thousand. In 1850 the church
was reorganized as a kingdom, with
Strang as King, and also "apostle,
prophet, seer, revelator and trans
lator." Lands were now appor-
toned among the people, and taxes
were paid by tithes. Schools were es.
tablished. "royal press pub.
lished daily paper called the Northern
Islander, and a magnificent tabernacle
was built. The code of law in this
kingdom was very strict; the use Of tea,
coffee, tobacco and all Intoxicating
liquors was forbidden, and women were
all compelled to wear the "bloomer'
costume. Polygamy was sanctioned,
but practiced by only few. as no ono
was allowed to take an extra wife un.
til he could show himself able to sup
port her. Strang himself had five wives
but no other member Of the church had
more than three. Strang is described
as man of light complexion, high fore
head and vigorous frame. He was fluent
of speech. suave in manner, but ruling
his kingdom with absolute power. HI
cultivated friendly relations with the
Indians, and scrupulously avoided col
isions with the United States authors
ties. At last, however, his many enc
mics among the Gentiles placed his con
duct in so offensive Lis ght that United
States officers were sent to arrest him
for treason. They took him to Detroit
for trial, but he argued his own case 81
we'll that he was acquitted. After hi:
return to his colony he became moro
strict than ever. Finding some of his
subjects indulging in tea, tobacco ant
like sinful stimulants, he sternly de
clared: 1.-THE laws of God shall be KEEP
in this community or men shall wall
over my dead body" Finally some mel
whom he had whipped and expelle'
from the kingdom swore vengeance ol
him, and June 16, 1855, when Stran!
went down to the shore to visit Gov
ernment ship in the harbor, he was sho
by two men in hiding on the dock. ant
died some days later from the effect o
his wound. AS soon as it was known
that he was dying, the members of tn
colony began to scatter, The settler
from the main shore then made rait
upon the island, gave the Mormons on
day to 60, then destroyed all their prop
erty, and burned the city and its taber
nacle.-Chicago Inter Ocean.